On Friday week M. Briand, the Minister for Public Worship,
delivered an important speech to the French Chamber on the Separation Law. He began by asking for the complete con- fidence of the-House, which was necessary before the present situation could be met. The secular State owed nothing to
the Catholics except liberty of conscience and freedom of worship. Such a State was bound to be in a sense Anti- Clerical—that is, to oppose any political intervention by the Church—but if the Church remained on her own ground, it was a sacred domain which none had a right to invade. It was therefore his business to ignore the Papal Encyclical. The Church had substantially recognised the law, for she bad exercised some of the rights given by the law. For the rest, there could be no compulsion, for the State could impose duties but not rights. For the period of one year after December 11th Church property should remain in a state of sequestration. French Catholics must bear the heavy responsibility of not making the Pope understand that the law was one in which they had cooperated. But the duty of the Republic was not to follow the dictation of Rome, but to ensure the free exercise to all of liberty of worship. The speech, which lasted for three hours, produced a great impression, and by 376 votes to 98 was ordered to be posted in the French towns and villages. So far, it is the most statesmanlike and resolute statement of French ecclesiastical policy. On Tuesday the debate was continued by M. Jaures, and a vote of confidence in the Government was carried by 416 votes to 163.
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